Imprint
by Tee-Cup
Summary: When Klaatu woke up for that first time he was frightened, which meant the first human contact he made would mean that he'd have a bond with them... Forever. I own nothing. Klaatu/OC
1. Chapter 1

**The Day the Earth Stood Still**

**I just wanted to try this out, it's kinda been mulling over in my head for a while so I thought I'd finally write it!**

**It's kinda another character added in and then continuing to a certain amount of time later… well that's the plan anyway **

**ENJOY! Please R&R!**

**Imprint**

**Chapter 1**

It had been one night. That's all, she couldn't deny there was chemistry between them but she and Michael were never going to be together again. It had been before she'd even met Andrew, Jacob's father. But her daughter had been born and was now two years older than Jacob.

Helen was thinking about them both as she made dinner. Jacob was such a smart boy but he was constantly answering back, she could understand why. He was frightened after he lost both his parents. He didn't seem to understand that he still had her, that she loved him and wouldn't leave him. Her daughter of Michael, Sophie, was also smart. She had curly, frizzy brown hair and dark eyes, she never got to see as much of her father as she liked and Helen wished she could change that but he was always very busy.

She shouted up to them that dinner was ready when the phone rang, she could hear them arguing and began to shout at them to wash their hands and come down but the phone call was important, and slightly distressing.

The man on the other end of the phone told her that she had to go with the people knocking at the door, as if by cue there was a knock just as Jacob and Sophie emerged at the bottom of the stairs, still arguing.

She opened the door and the children joined her, Jacob just nine, Sophie just eleven.

'Dr. Benson?' the man said, she was scared, nearly speechless. 'You need to come with us, is there anyone to take care of the boy?' the man said.

Helen couldn't make sense of anything, there were a lot of police outside there was so much noise, so much commotion, but she was most confused as to why only Jacob needed to be cared for, not Sophie too. Luckily her neighbour, Isobel, called up to her at that moment.

'Isobel!' Helen exclaimed running down the steps towards her friend, 'Please could you look after Jacob make sure he gets some dinner, I don't know what's going on…' she said.

'Sure,' Isobel replied, 'but why only Jacob? Why not Sophie too?'

'I don't know…' Helen said and turned back towards the man.

'Why not my daughter? Why does she have to come with me?' she asked. Jacob had already got his coat and was leaving with Isobel; Sophie was stood in the doorway looking frightened.

'Because her father has requested that she is bought.' The man said, 'now I must insist that we leave now.'

'Daddy? I get to see daddy?' Sophie began to grin, looking excited at the idea of being able to see her father.

'Michael?' Helen asked, and the man nodded. 'Ok,' she said running back inside, 'let me just…' she didn't finish but grabbed her jacket and scarf and forced Sophie to put on her own jacket and shoes.

They were forced into a car and Helen held her daughter close as the police took them towards something that was much bigger than anyone could ever imagine.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

'Helen!' the voice came from the balcony, 'Can we bring her up please?'

At first Helen couldn't see who it was as she painfully gripped her daughter's hand, but she made her way towards the barrier and pushed through until she found who belonged to the voice, Michael.

'Daddy!' Sophie squealed and Helen let go of her hand so she could jump into her father's arms.

'Hey princess!' he smiled, and then he beckoned for Helen to follow as he began to walk away briskly.

'Why am I here Michael?' she asked.

'You'll see, I have the presentation to give,' they'd arrived in a lecture theatre along with all of the people with which Helen had been on the helicopter. Michael put down Sophie and told her to sit with her mom quietly, she nodded and obediently followed.

There was a short moment whilst everyone got themselves settled before Michael began talking, 'we recently found what we believed to be an asteroid flying at phenomenal speeds and we believed it's course to be this,' he gestured to the animated diagram, 'but then we noticed that it was gradually changing its course, so we re-mapped its destination point…' he clicked a button on his computer and even looked sorry to be the one delivering the news that it was headed straight for planet earth. Then he sighed and clicked another button and a box popped up showing it was going to go straight into Manhattan.

There were gasps of disbelief around the room and a voice shouted out, 'Well what are we doing here? We should evacuate the area!'

'I'm afraid we simply don't have enough time.' Michael said looking down regretfully.

'Well how much time do we have?' the same voice asked. Michael said nothing just clicked another button on his computer and showed them how much time.

'Seventy-eight minutes.' He said under his breath as the people in the room continued to gasp and talk seriously.

Helen's eyes connected with Michael's and he nodded gravely. She took her daughter's hand again, she didn't want to let go. Sophie, however, hadn't been paying attention and had been sitting quietly playing with the zip on her jacket, at this sudden contact she looked up though and noticed the giant digital clock on the screen, slowly ticking down.

'What's happening mommy?' she asked.

'Come on.' Helen said, standing up and leading her daughter.

'Where are we going?'

'TO call your brother.'

'He isn't my brother. And the army people said no cell phones…'

'Well then I guess I'm very naughty.' Helen said not even looking at her just searching around for the nearest bathrooms. Sophie didn't laugh, she could sense that something was wrong with her mother and so she allowed herself to be dragged along through the teeming crowds and into the bathroom without a single word of protest.

She was pushed into a cubicle and Helen followed. She looked a bit surprised at this but Helen told her to sit on the toilet seat and be quiet so she did. Then Helen made the phone call to Jacob, the phone call to say goodbye.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Told you so Alannah **

The helicopter touched down and Helen looked down at her daughter, she didn't like seeing this eleven year old girl in a safety suit. She was just a child; if she could have her way then she would have left her with Isobel as well. But Michael had insisted she'd come, just so he could spend five minutes with her, it was a fair thing she supposed. Michael had known that this thing was coming and she couldn't blame him for wanting to spend five more minutes with his daughter.

They were let out and were immediately bathed in an eerie mist-like fog. Helen grabbed hold of her hand but was also curios as to what lay behind the fog. She continued to walk forward with the rest of them. There were conversations going on around her but she ignored them until she heard questions she felt she could answer.

'Can you feel that?' she was overcome with an overpowering sense of impending… something.

The fog cleared and they found themselves staring up at a colossal orb. The sphere looked above them, the swirling mass of greys and white's mixing together and then separating again, giving the illusion of a fresh, beautiful sky.

'It's so pretty!' Helen heard Sophie breathe. She nodded in agreement and vaguely felt Sophie's hand slip from her own. Suddenly the lights stopped swirling randomly and instead began to concentrate on one spot near the bottom of the sphere.

Right in front of Helen, she began to walk closer to the sphere, there were voices in her ear but she ignored them. She was vaguely aware of Sophie wavering a couple of steps behind her but all her attention was focused on the shape emerging from the shadows. It looked like a man, but it couldn't be. The voice were becoming more and more frantic, building up and up until a gunshot and a silence. Helen flinched away from the blood which splattered her helmet and watched as the figure began to fall. Instinctively she held out her arms and caught the wounded figure. She felt Sophie drop to her knees beside her and saw her small gloved hands press over the wound.

People swarmed around them, crowding them.

'Mommy we have to put pressure on the wound just like daddy told me!' Sophie said frantically.

Suddenly there was a high-pitched squeal and everyone pulled their hands over their ears. A huge man walked out and strode over to Helen. He towered over them, completely black although he gave the impression that he was moving, its skin seemed to be literally crawling. He stretched his hand down towards the alien in Helen's arms. But then the alien seemed to emit a sound, and the massive man, stopped.

The high-pitched squeal stopped and the electricity came back on, Helen looked down at the wounded person in her arms and watched as her daughter replaced her hands over the gunshot wound.

Helen smiled at her daughter as the figure was loaded onto a stretcher and pulled her away as she wanted to help.

'It's ok; the Doctor's will take care of him.' She smiled softly, and began to lead Sophie quickly in the way that the alien had been taken.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – I got my notepad confiscated in maths for writing this. Ah well, it's far more interesting than maths **

Helen couldn't help keeping sneaking glances up at the window where Sophie was stood with her nose pressed against the glass. The doctors were working hard to revive the being and Helen knew she had to be there, once they'd revived it they seemed to turn to her.

'What now?' one of the doctors asked.

'Do you have a surgeon?' Helen asked, the fetched him at once and soon Helen found herself stood with her daughter on the other side of the glass along with Michael. Sophie gripped her father's hand but Helen kept close, she still wasn't comfortable with Sophie seeing a surgery but it didn't seem to be affecting her. In fact she just looked curios and interested to understand what was going on.

She listened intently at what the Doctor had to say, Michael needed to talk to them so he smiled and gestured for Sophie to press the button. She seemed to be honoured to.

'Put it on ice and we'll have it mapped for DNA testing.' He said officially.

Helen suddenly had a thought.

'I'd like a sample too.' She said and Michael nodded and gestured for Sophie to take her finger off the button. She did so.

The Doctor became confused as he went further and further into the being, he continued until he had finally found what was under the grey fleshy outer layer; he found the figure of a human being.

'Can you explain any of this?' Michael asked Helen, tightening his grip on Sophie's hand. She seemed irritated by this; she was more interested in watching this new life be uncovered. Helen shook her head slowly, but gently took a hold of Sophie's other hand, much to her annoyance.

Six hours passed and each hour they surveyed it, or it, turned out to be a him. They cleaned him and clothed him and put him in a place which would keep him safe and all the while he remained unconscious. But no one touched him with their bare hands; he still hadn't made proper human contact.

Helen and Michael were surveying him on the eighth hour and he was definitely human. Sophie trailed along behind and stood by the tent-like shield surrounding him. She peered curiously into one of the little portholes, she noticed that the porthole she was peering into could in fact have someone's hand pushed through it, it was split into four flaps which meant that someone's hand and arm could go through. She pulled back one of the flaps curiously before her mother scolded her.

'Sophie no.' she said sternly and Sophie drew back her hand, she could see the man's hand just in front of her. She imagined he must be scared, what did her mom do when she was scared? She held her hand. But then again, her mom had told her not to, and she couldn't say no to her mom.

Helen went back to looking at the man, 'he's dreaming,' she whispered. 'Look Sophie,' she tried to make her daughter look but she was busy looking through her own flap. Suddenly a hand pushed against the tent and the man inside seemed to be fighting to get out.

'Get help!' Helen told the nurse on duty. Sophie didn't even think, she knew what her mommy would do and so, in an attempt to be a good person, she thrust her hand through the porthole and grabbed his hand. She didn't pay attention to her mother's protests and shouts for help but instead grabbed the man's hand.

For a moment he went rigid, then he relaxed, and he grasped her hand back. She didn't know why but she found tears coming to her eyes, she felt everything the man felt, he was frightened, alone and lonely. and she felt small sparks of electricity shooting up her arm and spreading through her body, but it didn't make her want to let go, It made her hold on tighter, it felt warm and she felt the man's feelings again. He was feeling a little safer; a little less frightened now he knew that she was there.

Sophie was happy to help.

'Sophie no!' she heard her mom shout, then her father echo it. He was breathing heavily, before his eyes rested on Helen, but Sophie refused to let go.

'He's looking at you.' Michael said softly, 'try saying something.'

She paused and glanced at him gripping her daughters hand tight before she looked him in the eyes and spoke, 'My name is Doctor Helen Benson, and we're here to help you. You have nothing to fear.'

He paused before repeating what she said in a whisper, 'Help you, nothing to fear.' It was as if he was rolling the language around his tongue.

Helen drew back, surprised at this new discovery before she grabbed her daughters hand and drew it gently from the "tent".

She pulled her to the corner of the room and Michael rushed over to them.

'Are you ok?' she asked, 'why did you do that?'

'Because I wanted to be like you. When I'm scared you hold my hand and I feel better. And I felt what he felt…' Sophie said indignantly, convinced she'd done the right thing.

'What? What do you mean?' Michael asked. Sophie sighed like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

'When I held his hand I felt that he was really scared and lonely, but once I held it he felt better. And then I got tiny little electric shocks all up my arms and all over my body and I felt really sad because I felt like I had a… connection with him.' She looked up at both her parents worried faces, 'did I do something wrong?' she asked, terrified of being reprimanded.

'No…' Helen said before Michael could say anything. Even thought they were both thinking the same thing.

'Do you still think you can sense what he feels?' Helen asked, and Sophie thought for a moment before nodding.

'I still feel connected to him.' She grinned; she was excited, thought it was all a big game and didn't see the bigger picture. Michael and Helen looked at each other; they were both thinking exactly the same thing.

This alien man had made a special bond, with their eleven year old daughter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Once Regina Jackson, the United States secretary of defence had arrived everything began to get quite hectic. Michael ordered Sophie to stay put and not to go near the man again, she tried to protest but he told her sternly.

'What are we going to do?' Helen asked him.

'There has to be a way to break it…' he whispered, making sure Sophie couldn't hear as she sat quietly in the corner. Thankfully her eyelids were beginning to drop from exhaustion.

'I don't think there is, but then again I'm no expert on alien bonding techniques!' Helen said bitterly. They were both slightly angry about this but didn't know how to address the problem. Their conversation was cut off as Sophie sped past them and into the room where the man was sleeping.

'What did you say?' she whispered, bending her head down to hear him.

'Water…' he croaked a little more loudly and suddenly Helen, Michael and Jackson entered. He drank a cup of water whilst they watched; Michael picked up Sophie and held her close, standing in the corner as far away from the alien as he could.

'Who are you?' Jackson asked, 'Who do you represent?'

'My name is Klaatu. I represent a series of species.' He said informatively. 'I need to speak with you leader.'

'I'm the closest you're going to get to our leader.' Regina smirked, 'So what do you want?'

'I will only speak with your leader.' He said decisively. The smirk disappeared from Jackson's face, to be replaced with a grimace of repulsion. She turned and flounced from the room, the others followed.

Once they had left the room she packed up and down for a few minutes before beginning to issue orders.

'He will be sent to a secure location, drugged and interrogated. I need someone qualified to give him the injection.' She turned to Michael who was still gripping Sophie.

'No daddy!' Sophie squealed.

'What is that child even doing here?' Jackson asked irritably.

'With all due respect Ma'am, I thought that we were all going to be blown up, I wanted to spend a little more time with my daughter.' Michael said, 'and I refuse to do it.'

'Well it must be done!'

'I'll do it.' Helen said suddenly.

'No!' Sophie said, she was quickly hushed by Michael as Jackson shot her an annoyed glance.

Sophie and Michael watched as Helen injected Klaatu.

'What's going to happen to him daddy?' Sophie asked, holding onto her father's hand. 'Will it hurt him?'

'No.' Michael said, not taking his eyes off of Helen injecting the liquid into his arm.

Sophie wanted to go home, she was tired, she was scared but at the same time she wanted to spend more time with the strange alien man. But her mother wouldn't let her, she knew that. So she leant against her father, allowing her eyelids to drop from exhaustion. He sat her down and the last thing she saw before her eyelids closed completely and she drifted into a fitful sleep, were Klaatu's eyes connecting with her own.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**Sorry for the delayed update! Been writing so many stories! But now exams are over and I have loads of free time I'll update more I promise. **

When she woke up Sophie was at home in her bed, she got up quickly and ran across to the window, glancing outside she saw a normal day. A bleak sky with no sign of the sun, a few spots of rain falling from the heavens. But something was wrong; people were rushing about, panicking, packing up their cars to go away for what seemed like a long time. She looked confused and ran downstairs where Helen was cooking and Jacob was sat watching TV, it was the news.

'What's going on?' Sophie asked quietly, sitting next to Jacob on the couch.

'School's been cancelled on account of the alien's landing…' he said, not taking his eyes from the screen.

'Stop it you two.' Helen called from the kitchen; the children didn't bother ignoring her order and instead returned their full attention to the screen.

The phone rang and after Helen answered and had a short conversation with whoever was on the other end they were being instructed to get on their coats and shoes and that they were going out. The car journey was short and Sophie fell asleep in the back seat, her dreams were filled with the voices of the strange, alien man, and when she woke up it was no different.

She thought that it must just be her imagination but she was surprised to see the shape of the man sitting in front of her. Her jaw dropped in surprise at the sight of him but he put a finger to his lips in a motion to tell her to keep quiet. She did as instructed and kept her mouth shut; instead she chewed on her nails and stared out of the window as the country zoomed past them.

Soon they were pulling in somewhere and both the children were surprised to see the familiar MacDonald's 'M' looming above them.

'MacDonald's?' Jacob said with a slightly sarcastic tone to his voice. He sighed and began to get out.

'Where are you going?' Helen asked quickly.

'Bathroom.' He said before leaving, Helen got out of the car too and so did the alien man. Sophie got out and looked at him. Their eyes connected and she suddenly felt afraid. Not of him, just of his presence, what he was there to do. She knew exactly what his plans were and she was afraid.

'Why are you doing this?' she asked, her voice shaking. He simply looked at her for a moment before responding. The rain was hammering down hard, flattening their hair to their foreheads but they didn't seem to care.

'I need to save the earth.' He said simply before walking towards the restaurant. Helen took Sophie's hand and led her inside behind him. He met someone and Helen sat at a different table with her children and another man.

'What are they talking about?' Jacob asked Helen and she shrugged. She couldn't take her eyes off of the two men talking though. Something was going on, she was desperate to know what but she was afraid to ask. Afraid of the answer. She knew that Sophie knew but she didn't want to scare her daughter further.

They finished eating and left the restaurant, getting in the car they began to drive again, Sophie gazed out of the window, trying to sort out the jumble of things in her head. Trying to sort between her own thoughts and the thoughts of Klaatu. It was confusing and hurt her head a little, could he hear all her thoughts too. She moved her gaze to the mirror where she found her eyes connecting with the alien mans again, she concluded that this meant he could hear her thoughts too. She thought she saw a small smile on his lips.

They drove to a wood and Klaatu got out, Sophie watched and avoided looking at Jacob who was angry at the fact that they were running around doing everything this strange man wanted them to. He didn't understand that this man wanted to save the Earth, she didn't understand how he was going to save it, but she knew that was what he planned to do. Every time she tried to read his mind to find out what his plans were he would shut her off and he would be angry at her so she wouldn't do it again for a while.

Her mother and Jacob got out of the car but she stayed put. Staring at the seat in front of her as she tried to sort out the mess in her head. She was brought out of her thoughts by a sudden white light; she looked out of the window and kneeled up on the seat to get a better look at it. She could see a bright orb rising up and the silhouettes of Klaatu and her mother. Jacob her mother turned around and began back towards the car. Sophie shuffled over so Jacob could get in and together they pressed themselves to the window so they could see what was going on.

"Who is he?" Jacob asked her softly. They had never been close, but they had once played together and were happy to act as brother and sister. And he trusted her and knew when there was something going on.

"He's special," she breathed, not taking her eyes off of the alien as he and Helen argued.

"Special?"

"Yeah, really special. But he's good, in his heart. I know he is."

"How do you know him?"

"I met him last night. When me and mom went to see dad."

"What happened there?"

"Stuff."

"You're not telling me anything."

"I can't Jacob."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't understand what I know…"

At this Jacob turned to look at his sister who remained staring at Klaatu. It was strange; they were both scared but more so curious. They wanted to know what was going to happen, whether it hurt them or not. But they had no inclinations as to what it could be.

A police car pulled up and Sophie finally tore her eyes away from the man by the car and watched as the police man got out and spoke to them. Helen opened the door and Sophie and Jacob scrambled out, both clinging to Helen. Sophie remained silent, half-hiding behind her mother as she watched the policeman training his gun on Klaatu. Fear spiked in her heart, Klaatu couldn't die, he just couldn't. She gripped her mother's arm and gasped, but Klaatu's presence was dulling the spike, calming her and she trusted him. Her mother's scream made her jump, but not as much as the impact of the car on the police officers body did. She remained rooted to the spot and was unable to wrench her eyes from the dead man's body. She let out a small whimper as her mother ushered her back into the car. Once there she collapsed in her seat, not watching as Jacob was but she stared at the seat in front of her. Not wanting to witness the man being brought back to life.

She felt the electricity surge through her as it surged through Klaatu and it hurt. She curled up in her seat and whimpered slightly as her heart burned with electricity. She couldn't stop the connection she had with Klaatu; it was something of a blessing. But also of a curse.

**A/N: I promise that I will be updating more now exams are finished and hopefully I can move on with this story because I am really starting to get into it again! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Sophie and Jacob had been to the old Professor's home many times before, so when they were ushered through the door and told to make themselves comfortable they weren't awkward or unsure. There were two couches, Jacob took one and Helen walked over to take off his shoes and talk to him as she draped a blanket over him. Sophie sat on the other and took off her own shoes, she did this for a moment before she felt eyes on her and she looked up to see Klaatu staring at her. She paused for a moment before kicking off her shoes and lying down on the couch, she was shattered. She pulled a blanket over herself and after a moment there were hands over her own. Klaatu's hands.

She allowed him to tuck her in and then kneel down beside her. He put a hand to her head and stroked her hair gently.

"You need rest," he whispered and she just stared at him. "I am sorry Sophie, I never meant for this to happen to you."

"I'm not, I'm glad it did. I like knowing you, I like being able to tell your thoughts."

"You are only a child; you do not understand such things. But you must sleep now. Rest." As he moved forward to touch his lips lightly to her forehead she dropped instantly into a deep sleep and she went limp on the couch.

Helen watched as this happened but turned and left the room as Klaatu was standing up. As he turned to leave Jacob spoke to him.

"What have you done to her?" he asked, he was defiant yet a little scared.

"There is a bond between her and I. She initiated it when we first met." Klaatu explained.

"A bond?"

"Yes. It means that we can feel each other's feelings. And share each other's thoughts."

"She's just eleven. You're old."

"I understand that. But she initiated it, so it cannot be a wrong match."

With that, Klaatu left. Leaving just Jacob to look over at his older sister and flick between the channels, searching for something to watch.

What felt like moments later to Sophie she was being shaken awake and told to get her shoes on so that they could leave. She didn't understand why her mother was in a rush but she went along with her. She pulled on her jacket as they ran out into the rain, her jacket was hardly waterproof and it didn't take long before her hair was plastered to her scalp. She ran to Klaatu's side and stuck close by him, constantly whipping her head around to catch a sight of her mother or Jacob. She could only watch as her mother was grabbed and pulled aboard a helicopter, kicking and screaming.

"Mommy!" she screamed, aiming to run towards her but Klaatu grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"She's gone." He said plainly and she looked up at him, suddenly very afraid of him now her mother wasn't there to protect her. He was a strange alien man who seemed to have an astonishing amount of control and influence over her and was now telling her to abandon her own mother. She pulled her wrist free and backed away from him, straight into Jacob. The two children clung to each other and began to run, they were aware of Klaatu following them but they continued to run anyway. They crossed a bridge over a stream and Sophie ran straight to the other side, Jacob paused and turned back to face Klaatu.

Sophie kept her mouth shut as Jacob and Klaatu spoke, she didn't even flinch as Jacob fell but Klaatu caught him. It was as if this was all a dream, none of it was real, all her sensations were being clouded and dulled by Klaatu. It was his attempt at protecting her and getting her to trust him, but she just couldn't. She'd seen inside his head and she knew of his and GORT's attempts to rid the earth of mankind. But Klaatu's presence in her mind was growing ever stronger; she couldn't fight against him anymore or feel anger against him. He was becoming so overpowering that she felt dizzy and weak.

They were walking through the trees when she called out for her brother, even her own voice sounded like it was being uttered a hundred miles away. It was muffled and she was simply aware of arms around her and then her world went dark.

**A/N: I'm so close to the end of this bit of the story! I really want to move on to the next bit which is why I'm hurrying this a little bit, hope you don't mind!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

When Sophie awoke she was lying on the ground under a bridge. She groaned and turned her head. She could see the swarm of miniscule robots outside and a few metres away from her, Jacob and her mother sat with their arms being held by Klaatu and Sophie instantly realised that he was removing these robots from their blood stream before they were killed.

Sophie sat up, she knew the robots were inside her too but she didn't really mind. They recognized the presence of Klaatu in her mind and so their attack on her blood stream was slowed down. She sat up as Klaatu stood and went to walk from underneath the bridge. She clambered up and called after him, "Klaatu!" she cried, running past her brother and mother to get to him. He stopped and turned, she could feel the robots working out that she was in fact human and starting to attack but she was more concerned about Klaatu risking his life to save them.

"Don't go…" she whispered as her nose began to leak blood. Her legs were still weak after she'd been unconscious and she felt them collapsing beneath her as the robots worked through her blood. He caught her neatly and put a hand to her cheek, even now he showed no emotion. She kept forgetting he wasn't human. He drew the robots out from her cheek and into his own bloodstream and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You will be safe." Klaatu said softly, "We will meet again one day, I promise you."

She wanted to say something more but there was nothing she could say. He stood up and helped her to her feet. She watched as he waded out into the swarm towards the orb, once he was out of sight she ran back to her mother and Jacob. She clung to them and waited for the swarm to drop, only then did they dare venture out from under the bridge.

Sophie watched as the orb rose up into the sky and she could feel him leaving. She was expecting the feeling of his presence within her to leave as well but it remained and she could feel them being torn further and further apart. It hurt a little but she didn't really mind, she was more interested in watching the orb travel away, safe with the knowledge that he would come back to earth one day.

**A/N: I know this chapter is stupidly short but it's finally finished this little bit so I can move on to the interesting lot! Thank you, please keep reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Sixteen years. It seemed to have passed in an instant but still so much had changed. The human race had begun to clean up their act and the world was beginning to become a greener, and better place. It was taking a long time and they were moving in baby steps but they were moving in the right direction and they knew that this put them in a good place.

Yet still, Sophie Benson had the nightmare. She started having it when she was eleven years old, straight after Klaatu had returned to wherever he came from, straight after he'd saved them, straight after he'd taken the deadly bugs from her family's arms. They had begun and since that very night she'd had them every night, they terrorised her nights and haunted her days.

She could never remember the nightmare after she'd had it, but always recognised it when it began. Tonight it was different; it began in the same way, the huge orb falling from the star-strewn sky, then guns all around and hope and excitement rising in her. Simply the memory of an eleven year old her. The hope and excitement for the return of Klaatu. But then it changed, the orb collapsed in on itself and all the people vanished, she alone was left standing in the cold darkness that stretched out around her in all directions with seemingly no end. Then, there was a low ringing sound, insistently drumming in her eyes, she tried to cover them but it didn't block it out. It got louder and louder, rising in a painful, echoing crescendo. She was screaming in pain, her head splitting, fighting against the darkness which seemed to be intensifying with every one of her heartbeats.

And then she woke up.

She was sitting bolt upright in her bed, sweat on her brow and gasping for breath. She rubbed her eyes, wiping away the tears and scolded herself. Women at the age of twenty-seven should not cry at nightmares. She lived in a small flat by central park, it was expensive but she loved it and couldn't bear to give it up. She squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again and blinking rapidly a few times in the harsh light.

Harsh light? It was the middle of the night. She looked around, confused, before noticing that the light was streaming through the blinds in her window. She scrambled out of bed, and crossed to the window, her bare feet padding on the carpeted floor. She had been sleeping in shorts and a strappy t-shirt and suddenly felt too exposed in her own home. But she didn't care; she snapped open the blinds quickly and gazed out at central park. Her jaw dropped and she found tears behind her eyes that had nothing to do with the nightmare.

The enormous orb glowed in the centre of the park and was surrounded once more by the army. But this wasn't a defence as before, this was a welcoming. They were welcoming him back, but there was confusion. The connection was re-established as soon as she glanced at the orb and it hit her in the gut like a bullet. She gasped and put a hand to her stomach in pain as a mixture of feelings and everything she'd missed flooded into her in one instant. But it was gone as quickly as it had come, leaving her to simply stare out of her window at the chaos below. But there was something more, she felt it. Behind her.

"I thought you were gone for good." She said quietly, not turning, "I thought you weren't coming back. We are changing our ways, we're getting better. Why are you here?" she asked and his reply made her heart leap.

"I am not here for the errors of your ways. You have been improving; there is a new crisis that is to be averted."

"So you're going to kill us?"

"No. I am here to help you. Since my last visit we have been impressed with the way you have changed, and therefore we reach out our protection to you."

"Protection from what?"

He paused before replying, "There is another civilisation, they are aiming to take over the universe and Earth is their next target."

Sophie turned slowly to face him. He was wearing the same suit as before and was stood awkwardly in her doorway, half covered by shadow. They looked at each other for a few minutes.

"How can you help us?" she asked, even quieter than before.

"There will be a war."

"A war? Will people get hurt? Not your people, my people, humans?"

"There is that chance, but our aim is for minimal casualties."

"Will you get hurt?"

There was another agonising pause.

"That is a high possibility."

"Then I will too." She said quickly. She understood what this bond meant. "Can I ask you something?"

"You have been for the past five minutes."

"This is different. I mean, can I have your permission to do something… human?"

"You are human so, of course."

"Good," she nodded, "Come into the light." She stood still and watched while he walked a little way into her bedroom and she could see him. It was like he hadn't changed at all. Once he'd stopped she strode forward and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder and holding him tight. He was momentarily confused before he wrapped his own arms around her waist and held her back tightly. He didn't always understand human customs, but this felt right.

"Why did you have to leave?" he heard her say into his shoulder, her voice muffled but still quavering.

"It was necessary to save you…" he whispered in return, he wasn't used to emotions but he allowed himself to feel her pain from the separation and loss of him. And he realised that this was how he was meant to have felt too. He was confused about how feelings were starting to develop inside of him, he was unused to feelings and, whilst he welcomed them, he wasn't sure whether he liked them or not.

"But did you want to?"

He held her out at arm's length and shook his head slowly, saddened by the tears in her eyes. "I did not wish to leave you, but if I had not then you would have been killed, which would have hurt me even more." He said quietly and she nodded, wiping away the tears from her eyes quickly and smiling.

"I'm sorry. I'm being stupid." She laughed quietly but he shook his head, dropping his arms.

"No, you are being human."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Yeah mom, yeah I know… Is Jacob with you?" Klaatu watched as Sophie spoke into the phone whilst frying eggs at the same time for breakfast. Four hours had passed since Klaatu had arrived in her apartment and the time was now eight AM. She'd dozed off again and he'd watched her sleep for a while before wandering around her apartment. She'd changed so much since they'd last met. When they'd been together last time she had been a child, scared of her own shadow. Now, she'd grown up. She was a woman. Her apartment reflected her personality, the colours were all blues and creams and everything was spotless and neat. She woke up about half seven and after brushing her teeth and pulling her hair into a ponytail, she'd immediately called her mother. Klaatu remembered Helen and Jacob, and, despite the imminent danger they were in, he looked forward to seeing them again. Just as he'd looked forward to seeing Sophie and had looked for her as soon as he'd arrived, he was now sat at her kitchen table, watching her cook their breakfast in her shorts and strappy top.

"Okay, so we can come over later?" she asked, scooping the eggs onto readily waiting, buttered toast on plates. "Okay, thanks mom! Love you too, bye."

She hung up the phone before putting it onto the counter and turning with the plates, she set them down on the table before turning off the cooker and sitting down opposite Klaatu.

"We're gonna go see mom and Jacob later. We can help you. We'll do whatever we can to help you Klaatu." She said, starting on her breakfast, he found he was hungry and so began on his too.

"Sophie, you cannot do anything. If there is going to be a war then only I can fight."

"You can't fight a war on your own. You have no hope of winning like that!"

"You cannot fight. They will kill you."

"Then I will go down fighting!"

"Sophie. You cannot." He said dismissively although he knew this would not be the end of their conversation. They ate in silence until they finished and then Sophie paused for a minute before standing up quickly.

"Right, you're gonna pull your weight around here. You're gonna wash up." He just looked at her so she sauntered out and a few minutes later he heard the shower starting. He sighed before standing up and washing up the plates and cutlery. He didn't understand why they were being so slow about this, they didn't seem to understand that this would mean such a change for them, and they were dawdling. When she emerged from her room she was showered, her hair fell in a long plait down her back and she was wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt.

"So how long do we have before our imminent doom?" she said, her bare feet padding on the soft carpet as she walked over to him.

"I don't know, but it's not long."

"Well mom said we're welcome over at any point today. Jacob's there, she lives about an hour away and it's…" she glanced up at a clock, "Half eight. Let's go?"

"You're nowhere near ready." He observed and she laughed.

"I will be by about nine! I promise!"

At half nine they were leaving the flat after Sophie had a crisis about deciding which shoes to wear. Klaatu was completely bewildered as to how human women could take so long! She got into her car and he got into the passenger seat. She began to drive and Klaatu observed the people around him, how the world had changed in sixteen years. The army who were looking up at the sphere and GORT who had emerged to protect Klaatu. GORT was the one thing about Klaatu that terrified Sophie, she'd first encountered him as an eleven year old girl and she could only remember him towering above her and his hand lowering down to reach out for her and her mother. She remembered thinking she was going to be snatched up and eaten; she smiled at herself now for her childlike stupidity.

"What's so funny?" he asked her and she couldn't stop the smile turning to a grin, but she didn't take her eyes from the road.

"Nothing! I was just remembering how scared I was when I first met GORT! And what I had been thinking at the time, I found it funny."

"What did you think?"

"You know what I thought; you can read my thoughts at your will!"

"I'd prefer to have a real conversation."

She smiled, impressed and happy with his attempts to adapt to human ways. "Well, I thought he was going to pick me up and eat me."

"Eat you?"

"Yes. I was eleven, shut up." She grinned and even he couldn't stop the slight smile as he gazed out of the window.

"Are you gonna stay this time?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you gonna stay on Earth? Or are you gonna do your thing and then disappear again?"

He paused before replying.

"Sophie… After this is over, there may not be a me to leave."

"Don't…" she whispered.

"Don't what?"

"Don't talk like that, I can't take it. That's the problem with you. You're so… un-human, you don't understand human emotions, or how we cope, or the fact that if someone we love dies it kinda kills us a little bit too!"

He paused again and she realised what she'd said, they were close to her mother's house now though.

"Someone you love..?" he asked but she interrupted him sharply.

"We're not talking about this right now." She said, ending the conversation, her face stony and staring ahead at the road.

She turned into the drive and they got out, she led the way up the path and walked through the door, calling out.

"Hey mom! Jacob! We're here!" she called out and Klaatu looked around, he was a bit nervous as Sophie kicked off her shoes and he wondered why she'd spent so long choosing her shoes if she was barely going to wear them. He followed her through the house and they found Helen and Jacob at the dining room table drinking coffee. They smiled at him and greeted him warmly. They both sat down too and Klaatu filled them in on everything he'd told Sophie, she was deliberately not looking at him.

"What the war about?" Helen asked.

"It is a simple war, territory. The race in question simply wants more planets to take over."

"So it's going to invade ours? Why?"

"Because they think you are unprotected."

"But you're going to protect us?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Do you not wish me to?"

"Of course I want you to, I just wanna know why, why are you back here in our lives?"

"Because I am here to protect you. I wanted to come back before…" he said slowly and this was the first time Sophie looked up at him, but avoiding his eye, "I missed the Earth, I missed you…" he was speaking to them all but Sophie felt like he was speaking to her specifically. She looked up and met his eye at last; they looked at each other for a moment before she looked away sharply.

She stared at the ground, trying very hard not to look at any of them. She couldn't bear the embarrassment of what she'd said in the car. She hadn't meant to say it, she'd been thinking it since she was around seventeen years old but she was always too scared to admit it openly to herself rather than in passing to him. She was mortified, but she couldn't turn him away. She would have to grit her teeth, bear it, and await the following conversation.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Jacob and his big sister stood in the kitchen with mugs of coffee whilst Helen and Klaatu were talking in the living room. Sophie had forgotten what it was like to spend time with her family, she wished she saw them more but she just never had the time anymore. She missed them; she missed the conversations she could have with them. She and Jacob were smiling now, they were having an easygoing conversation, and they hadn't had an easygoing conversation in so long. They'd hardly seen each other since she moved out and he went to college.

"So what's going on with you and Klaatu?" he asked her, he was looking at her curiously, but he wasn't pressing her. He was smiling gently with narrowed eyes; he wanted to know for the sake of gossip but also to protect his big sister.

She sighed before answering, leaning back against the counter. "I don't know."

"You always looked forward so much to him coming back but now you're hardly even looking at him. And if what he's saying is true, then shouldn't you wanna spend time with him? He might die, Soph. Surely you wanna spend as much time with him as possible?"

She took a sip of coffee and looked at him, "It's complicated. He showed up at my apartment in the middle of the night and I looked at him, and everything had changed! When I was eleven I looked up to him, he was a scary alien who I naively thought it was my job to protect. But that was sixteen years ago Jacob, now it's different. I look at him, and he's not a scary alien. He's a man, and I'm a woman…"

"Oh my God…" he gasped and she looked at him, alarmed.

"What?"

"You totally have a crush on Klaatu!" he said excitedly and she glared at him.

"A crush? What, are we sixth grade again now?"

"Come on Soph. You like him."

"I think it's worse than that Jacob." She paused and sighed, he waited for her to go on so she thought that she might as well tell him everything. "On the way over here, I told him I love him… It was indirect and I didn't even realise it was coming out of my mouth but he did. I'm not sure I can have that conversation with him, I'm not ready for it but I know that he will want to have it. I don't know what to do."

"Just have the conversation! Who knows maybe he has a crush on you too!" he grinned and she punched him playfully in the arm, sighing.

"You're such a child."

"Sophie! Jacob!" Helen called from the other room and they put their coffees on the side before walking into the living room. Klaatu was stood and Helen was still sat, Jacob sat down beside his step-mother and Sophie remained in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe.

"I would say we have a few weeks before the other race will decide to attack against the Earth. We will have to plan the defence meticulously." Klaatu stated, looking at each of them in turn.

"There are different people in charge now; they won't just go along with this. Trust me, I've met the new head army general and he is not a nice guy." Helen said.

"There is no time for petty quarrels."

"They won't listen to you Klaatu; they will be like they were before I can guarantee that."

"I have to try."

"Wait…" Sophie said quickly, "Try what? What are you doing Klaatu?"

"I need to have access to the Earths defence system."

"How?"

"I need to get into the military base."

"You're insane. Mom's right they will kill you! They will literally shoot on site!"

"I have no other choice."

"There have to be loads of other choices!"

"Sophie…"

"I will not let you be killed for us!" she didn't realise she was yelling. There was a silence in the room and Helen stood up, hitting Jacob's shoulder as she did.

"Maybe we should give them a moment Jacob…" she said and they both left, leaving Sophie alone with Klaatu.

They stood in silence for a moment, staring across the room at each other. "Please don't do this…" Sophie whispered. He looked at her with pain in his eyes.

"I must."

"There's gotta be something else. They will kill you. You cannot die, I just got you back! You can't die. Not now. Not at all!"

"This is the only way."

She glared at him with tears in her eyes. "Fine. Then I'm coming with you."

"No."

"Yes and don't you dare argue!"

"I don't understand why you're…"

"Yes because you don't understand anything!" She was yelling again, "You don't understand how I feel! You don't understand anything about me or you or humans!"

"I thought you didn't want to have this conversation?" the softness of his voice upset her even more.

"We're not! We're not having this conversation, especially not right now. But I'm trying to make you see! I'm trying to make you understand that I have feelings… for you, in any form and you have to understand that I hurt! I hurt when you're not here, or when you get hurt and God, if you got killed, I don't even know how I'd feel. You do not understand how pissed I am at you right now!"

"Sophie please…"

"Just shut up!" she turned her back and put her head in her hands, holding back the tears. She dropped her hands and rolled her head back up but kept her eyes shut, this was the only way she thought she could stop the tears. There was a moment of chilled silence before she felt a touch on her shoulders, Klaatu's fingers trailed down her upper arms before wrapping around her waist from behind. "What are you doing?" she whispered, opening her eyes and a solitary tear escaped her control.

"I'm trying to understand," he whispered into her ear and she felt shivers go down her spine. He held her close and buried his face in her shoulder, she put her arms over his and melted back into him, enjoying the sensation of him holding her far too much than she probably should.

"Finally!" came a voice from behind them and they came apart, looking back to find Jacob and Helen stood in the doorway. Jacob has been the one to speak.

"Shut up." Sophie said, her cheeks burning red.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12  
>WARNING: Innuendos toward the end of the chapter.<strong>

They remained at Helen's home for the rest of the day before Sophie drove them back to her apartment. They drove home in a slightly awkward silence which was even starting to get to Klaatu. He wasn't sure he liked these human feelings that were starting to infest inside him at all. It was already quite late, nearing nine o'clock by the time they'd left, meaning it was closer to ten by the time they actually arrived back at her apartment in central New York. She let them in and flicked on the lights, they'd eaten at Helen's and suddenly she felt incredibly awkward to be alone with him. They were both very clear on their feelings for one another and now in a darkened apartment everything seemed so much heightened and every move made towards each other more dramatic. Sophie shut the door behind them and locked it again and they remained in the small hallway, the bulb in the hallway had blown a while ago and so the only light came from the kitchen where she'd flicked it on. It left them in a half-darkness, stood very close together in the cramped hallway. They looked at each for a few moments, just staring at each other and trying to suss what the other was going to do next. Sophie was the one to break eye contact and push past him into the next room.

She threw her keys down onto the table and pulled her hair out of her plait, fanning it out and allowing it to flow wildly around her shoulders and down her back. She ran a hand through it and sighed, she wished that Klaatu were more human. Just to understand her a bit more, just to understand her feelings and what she wanted. She turned around to look at him to see him stifling a yawn and she couldn't help but find it funny.

"You're more human than you let on aren't you?" she asked him, grinning and he looked at her curiously.

"I'm unfamiliar with this sensation."

"You're tired, Klaatu. You need sleep. Come on." She led the way into the bedroom, flicking off the lights and took out her pyjamas she went into the bathroom to change and brush her teeth before emerging and clambering into her bed, pulling up the duvet around her she went to switch off her light before she noticed Klaatu stood in the middle of the room looking confused. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You're human, yes?" she asked him.

"Yes," he replied, "And I am tired, but, I have never done… this before." He said looking at the bed apprehensively.

"Okay, well you can't sleep in a suit. You wear a T-shit and probably boxer shorts or I might have some trousers," she smiled gently getting back out of bed and walking over to her drawers.

"Thank you." He said and she smiled in return, she gave him the clothes and turned her back whilst he changed. Once he was done she got into bed again, but still he seemed wary.

"Okay," she said, sitting up and leaning against the headboard, "just get into the bed, come on, it's not hard!" she grinned.

He climbed into the bed and sat beside her, still looking daunted by the idea of sleeping. Sophie brought her knees up and clasped her hands around them, hugging them to her chest. Her face fell slowly and all signs of a joke were gone as she looked across the room and into the distance.

"I wasn't kidding you know, when I said I can't let you die. Klaatu, you evidently don't understand human emotions or customs or anything about the human race so I'm going to explain something to you, very plain and very simple. I love you. And that means that it's nothing to do with a bond or anything stupid like that it is quite simply that I can't bear to see you get hurt let alone die. It will literally kill me, and not because I can feel your pain or anything to do with this goddamn bond quite simply because I love you. Love means something in our race it means that we care for each other, especially those we love, so you've got to trust me when I tell you that I will do anything… _anything_ to protect you, to help you. I love you." She finished but didn't look at him. She felt glad to have got it off her chest but the silence that ensued after it scared her ever so slightly. It was like being in high school all over again and your crush found out you liked them and the next day they started talking to you and your heart stopped for the entirety of the conversation.

"I do understand love." He said softly after what seemed like an age and her breath caught in her throat, her heart was racing but she still didn't look at him. "Our people have a very deep understanding of love, and it's very similar to the human understanding of love. Sophie, the bond we have is not stupid or ridiculous in any way. It has helped me to understand the human race, their ways and their emotions more than I ever thought I could. Sophie, without you I would not have been able to contract human emotions myself, and without that the following statement could not be true in any way as I could never mean it truly. But thanks to you, I can, I can say it and I can mean it. Sophie, I love you." At this declaration she looked up at him with a mixture of relief and shock coursing through her veins. Her heart was still going at one hundred miles an hour and she was having a little difficulty breathing but she continued looking at him. After a moment he looked back at her and what seemed like a mere second later his lips were on hers. It was the first time she'd felt he was really human, their lips moved roughly against each other's and suddenly their bodies were pressed together, their legs entwining and their hands exploring their partner's body. He lay her down and lay on top of her. He paused for a moment and looked down at her; her eyes were bright as she looked back up at him. Before he leaned down again, he positioned himself on top of her before leaning down to kiss her roughly once more.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The huge orb was falling from the star-strewn sky above her, the guns were all around and hope and excitement was rising in her. But this was wrong; she already knew that Klaatu was here, it didn't stop her remembering. And then it changed as it had before, the orb collapsed in on itself and all the people vanished, she alone was left standing in the cold darkness that stretched out around her in all directions with seemingly no end. Then, there was the low ringing sound, insistently drumming in her ears, she tried to cover them but it didn't block it out. It got louder and louder, rising in a painful, echoing crescendo. She was screaming in pain, her head splitting, fighting against the darkness which seemed to be intensifying with every one of her heartbeats. She wished she could wake up but she didn't know how to, she didn't know how to escape from the pain and so she screamed louder. Her body falling to the ground and writhing in pain, she needed to wake up but she didn't know how, she was terrified.

But then there were arms around her and she was awake, shaking with tears pouring down her face but there were arms around her, protecting her. She buried her face in Klaatu's bare chest and whilst she knew he had no clue what he was doing and he was going on gut instinct she still appreciated the gesture. He kissed the top of her head and held her tightly, they remained in this embrace for a number of minutes before she pulled away, and she sat up and wiped her eyes. The sunlight was filtering through the blinds and she glanced at the clock and saw that the time was nearing eight. Without speaking, not trusting her mouth not to blurt out everything that had happened in her nightmare, she got out of bed and pulled on some clothes. She went into the bathroom and showered quickly, allowing the cool water to soothe her memories of her nightmare and calm her down. It washed away the sweat along with the painful memories. Once she was out of the shower she brushed her teeth and looked at herself in the mirror, only then, did she allow herself to remember back before the nightmare, before she'd even fallen asleep. The time with Klaatu, she smiled to herself at this and looked herself over in the mirror, she felt happy, there was a warm glow in her gut and she smiled. But her smile dropped as a thought occurred to her, did they use protection? She couldn't remember, and she was suddenly afraid.

She forcefully put it from her mind, she had better things to be thinking about than a potential pregnancy which probably couldn't even happen as she was a human and he was an alien. There was probably nothing, but it worried her all the same. She ignored the feeling in her gut, the fear, and continued to brush her teeth. Once she was done she went back into her bedroom, Klaatu was making the bed when she came in, he was dressed in his suit and his pyjamas were folded neatly on her chair. She stood and watched him with a smile and he caught sight of her and looked up, a slight smile in his eyes.

"Breakfast?" she asked quietly and he nodded.

"Sounds great."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The whole idea that she might be pregnant by Klaatu completely slipped her mind over the course of the next six weeks. They worked closely together, more professionally than in a relationship, they planned meticulously their way into the army base and Sophie noted with gratitude how much easier it had been when her father was alive and how easy it would be to get into the base if he were still alive. She remembered how her mother had explained that Michael, her father, had gone to join Jacobs father in heaven when she was asleep but one day he would come back to her and he would forever be watching over her. Of course, as she'd grown up she'd understood more that this meant she was never going to see him again. That he was gone forever. Which was a real shame in this instance, for his help would have been greatly appreciated. If anything went wrong they would either be captured, tortured and interrogated, or shot on site. Sophie didn't really have a liking towards either options and would rather the plan go smoothly. But something told her it wouldn't be that simple.

In that space of time they didn't sleep together again, whilst they shared the odd kiss and shared the same bed they never had intercourse again. And it was only after these six weeks that Sophie was reminded it had even happened. She'd left Klaatu in the flat to work over the plans whilst she went to visit Jacob in his apartment which was just a twenty minute drive from her home. She was fine, she only started to feel queasy when she arrived and tried to brush it off but she couldn't and halfway through a conversation she was forced to excuse herself and rush to the bathroom. Jacob followed and held her hair scraped away from her face as she was violently sick.

As she cleaned herself up and sipped at the water Jacob fetched for her he leaned against the doorframe and observed her curiously.

"What's up with you?" he asked, a tinge of amusement in his voice which earned a glare from his sister, she also shrugged and leant against the sink, facing him.

"I dunno, I felt fine this morning. Probably Klaatu's cooking."

"Wait…" Jacob said quickly, all signs of a joke gone and he was deadly serious, "Klaatu's been staying with you?"

"Yeah…" she nodded slowly, taking another sip of water.

"You don't have a spare room, so he's been sharing your bed, and you're totally into each other and… don't take this the wrong way, but you're a little bit a of a slut, so have you two…?"

Her face paled and she recalled that night the weeks before. "Oh my God, no…" she breathed and he grabbed her wrist and then his keys. He pushed her out the front door before following and then locking the flat behind them. He rushed down the steps and she followed in a little bit a daze. Her mind was numb but whirring. She couldn't comprehend that this might actually be happening. She only followed Jacob as he walked into the pharmacy and bought the pregnancy test. Without speaking she followed him home and obeyed as he thrust the pregnancy test into her hands and pushed her into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

She simply stood there for a moment, far too dazed to think about what was happening before she blinked a couple of times and looked down at the pregnancy test in her hands. She read the instructions and did as they told her. Once she was done she washed her hands thoroughly, leaving the test behind her. She didn't want to turn; she didn't want to see the result. She could imagine scenarios with both results. If she wasn't pregnant everything would be fine and she and Jacob could just laugh about it at a later time and Klaatu would never even have to know it had happened!

But if it said positive…

She had two options then, to tell Klaatu, or not to tell Klaatu. If she told Klaatu she could imagine him either being so happy and vowing to stay here on earth with her forever and marry her and give into his human customs. But he would also become overly protective and not allow her to partake in their plans to break into the army base which would only be annoying to her. But he could also take it in a very different way and run away from her forever. Then she would be left with this little half-alien baby forever with no man to help her. There was no way she was ready to be a mother that was one thing she was certain of. And if she didn't tell him then he would never know and he would go back to wherever he came from and she would be left with this child and no clue what to do. What would this child even be like? She imagined some horrible monstrosity like the kid in Twilight that nearly killed Bella and she was suddenly terrified. What if she was incapable of loving this child? She was so worried about how it could all turn out that she completely lost track of time and was only brought out of her thoughts when Jacob hammered on the door and demanded to know the results. She slowly turned around and picked up the pregnancy test. She rarely made a habit of swearing but when she saw the result of the test she couldn't help herself.

"Holy shit…"

**A/N: Apologies for a bit of bad language there, it just felt needed!  
>Hope you're enjoying it! <strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15  
>WARNING: Swearing in this chapter.<strong>

She and Jacob sat opposite each other, neither of them spoke, they just both stared down at the pregnancy test on the table between them. The test that read positive. After roughly five minutes of just staring Jacob spoke.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked and her reply was instantaneous.

"Yes please." She said without a second delay. He got up and went into the kitchen where she could hear him bustling around and making tea. God did she need tea, of course she would have liked something stronger, like alcohol, but now she couldn't. She was pregnant. She couldn't quite wrap her head around the idea; it was too extravagant, too out of this world. She dreaded Klaatu's reaction, how the hell could she tell him?

Jacob re-entered and placed her tea in front of her, she sipped at it gratefully. Enjoying the burn of the searing hot liquid down her throat, it was comforting to her, despite the fact that it hurt a little. She liked it; the pain gave her a bit of a distraction to what was going on at present. And they returned to staring at the test again, the only difference this time was the mugs of tea in their hands.

"What am I gonna do Jacob?" Sophie whispered after what must have been an age.

"I dunno Soph. But you gotta tell Klaatu."

"How? How the fuck do I tell him about this?" she asked, completely bewildered with her situation and shaking her head. He opened his mouth to reply with a shrug.

"I can honestly say I don't know." He said quietly.

"Maybe if you just blurt it out it'll be easier than you think…" he suggested and she raised an eyebrow, looking up at him. He looked down again, understanding that his suggestion had been ridiculous.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"How the fuck am I meant to have a baby?" she cried, she wasn't usually one to swear but she was overcome with emotion at this that it was special circumstances. "And it's not just a normal baby either! It's a half alien baby! How do I know it's not gonna be freaky and eat human flesh or something?! Or what if it can't survive on this planet? I'm not gonna let Klaatu just take it back to his home planet. Oh God…" she put down her tea and her head sunk onto her arms.

"Okay," Jacob said suddenly, looking determined. "Klaatu's body is human, correct?" he asked and Sophie murmured an agreement from in her arms, "Therefore his semen must be human."

"I really don't feel comfortable talking about this with my little brother…" she said, her voice muffled but Jacob ignored her.

"Therefore, human semen, plus human ovary…"

"Jacob…"

"Equals human baby! It's perfectly simple; it should be fine on this planet."

"Jacob," she said, looking up a blush on her cheeks, "I really wish you'd learn when it's appropriate to stop talking sometimes."

"I'm just thinking this through Sophie!" he protested.

"But one thing we must be agreed on is that you have to tell Klaatu, tonight, or I know you won't do it."

"I am so not telling him tonight."

"Yes you are. If you don't then I'll tell him tomorrow."

"I hate you sometimes."

"I'm just here to look out for you."

She sighed and looked up at him, her chin resting on her arms, "Jacob…" she mumbled and he nodded, leaning forward to hear her.

"Yeah?"

"Jacob, I'm scared…" at this revelation he reached forward and took her arms, rubbing them soothingly.

"Come on," he said softly, standing up and picking up her purse, he dropped the pregnancy test inside it and then walked around to her side of the table before hooking his hands under her arms and hoisting her up. "I'll drive you home." He said gently and put his hand under her elbow to support her as he led her out of the apartment and down to her car. He strapped her in the passenger seat before getting in the driver's side.

"How are you gonna get home again?" she asked once they'd begun driving.

"I'll get a cab," he said, not moving his eyes from the road. As they drove she noticed how late it really was, the sun was setting over the city and it bathed everything in beautiful pink and yellow light. It gave the usually harsh city a warm, comforting glow and she found herself loving it more than she already did. They drove back in silence and once they arrived Jacob helped her out of the car before kissing her forehead and handing her, her purse. He gestured to the stairs out of the garage and up to her apartment and wished her luck before disappearing off to find a taxi-cab.

She made the slow climb up to her apartment and let herself in through her door. She called out to Klaatu but her voice sounded strange, detached, like she was hearing it echoing from miles away. He called back that he was still working in the kitchen so she made her way through. Clutching her bag, with the pregnancy test still inside, to her chest. Once she saw him sat huddled at the table it all came crashing back and tears sprung to her eyes, her head went light and she saw him look up and smile. His smile fell almost instantly when he saw her but she didn't see him for long before she became aware of the ground getting closer and him darting over to catch her as she fell, right the way down, down a long dark tunnel. Her vision clouded, and she fainted into his arms.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

When she gently forced her eyes open she could see his silhouette perched on the bed beside her, he was looking down at something in his hand. He seemed confused but also a little worried. It took her a moment to remember what had happened and then it clicked in her brain what he must be looking at. She had dropped her bag, it must have fallen out, he must have seen it. Now she had no control over when he found out, he already knew. She knew he knew. She didn't speak, she just reached out with her mind, making use of the terrible connection she had with him. She just gently, subtly, let him know she was awake and could see him and in a matter of moments his eyes were on her. He looked petrified, more scared than she felt. Was he really that scared, just about a child? He was Klaatu, he was so calm and collected and cool and couldn't be scared about something like this. She'd been relying on him to be the strong one through this, what would happen now if he wasn't?

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly and the softness in his voice scared her. She was terrified he'd leave her. He felt her thoughts and took her hand gently, "I'm not going anywhere."

"I only found out today…" she croaked, her throat and mouth were both so dry from her sleep and she was grateful when he put down the goddamn test and helped her sit up before handing her some water.

"Sophie… A child?" he asked softly again and she nodded. Keeping her eyes on the glass in her hands and not trusting her voice, not trusting herself to speak without crying. She didn't want to cry anymore, she wasn't a child; she was a full-grown woman who was going to have a child of her own. She loved this man, and in her heart she hoped he loved her too. She wasn't sure if it was the same kind of love she felt for him but she hoped it was at least something similar. "We were planning to go to the base tomorrow." He said, his eyes cast down and she set her glass aside.

"Why do you say it in past tense? We're still going." She said firmly, leaning forward.

"No. We are not." He said equally as firm but she refused to give in.

"No way! We have been planning this for weeks! We're not going to back out now just because of some… some…"

"A child is not just something Sophie. I am not risking your life or the Childs by taking you with me. You will remain here and I will go alone."

"No." she argued, anger flushing through her, "I helped! I planned this! I wanna come too! You can't stop me, I'm coming with you."

"No Sophie, you are not." And she felt his emotions course through her. Anger and pain and fear all rolled into one, it reminded her of the first time they'd connected and the surge of feelings she'd felt had been more powerful than anything she'd ever experienced before. She paused before putting a cap on his feelings and looking up sternly into his eyes.

"Don't pull that trick on me," she said menacingly, "I am coming with you no matter what. Please, I don't want to be stuck here on my own!"

"Sophie, I am begging you…!"

"And I'm begging you! Let me come." She pleaded her eyes wide and he sighed, he was by no means giving in, he just hated arguing with her. But for now, she took it as a victory and leant back in her pillows.

"So…" she said, her voice quiet again, "What are we gonna do?"

He just looked at her quizzically.

"About the baby." She clarified for him but he nodded, the quizzical expression not changing.

"I know, about the child, but I do not understand your question."

"Are you going back? To your home planet? Will I have to raise this child alone?"

"No Sophie, I will not leave you alone with a child. I could never do that. Sophie, I love you. It may not be the same kind of love that you have for me but it is love none the less. And I have absolutely no desire to leave your side ever again. I will remain on Earth as there are few of my people here already, I can become accustomed to the ways of humans easily. If you would explain them to me we could adhere to some of the ways if that's what you want? I understand there's the idea of some kind of idyllic dream, a house with a white picket fence, that sort of thing…" he continued to talk but Sophie didn't hear any more. She found tears in her eyes again. This man was willing to leave his own people because he loved her. She suddenly felt the greatest rush of affection for him that she'd ever felt. She put a hand to her mouth as tears began to spill down her cheeks and he finally noticed them.

"Sophie? Sophie what's wrong?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders, worriedly. She shook her head before throwing her arms around his neck and pushing her mouth to his. She kissed him passionately, flooding him with all the love and affection she felt for him. After a short, shocked moment, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her back. Flooding her with just as much love and affection as she had to him. She couldn't bear to be apart from him and she knew that he couldn't stop her accompanying him the following day; they had to do this together. As a couple.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The corridors seemed to be so much longer when you were hurrying down them. Klaatu insisted that he'd taken all security precautions and they wouldn't be caught but Sophie was adamant on hurrying all the same. She wanted to get all of this over and done with, to be honest she hadn't slept well and wanted to get home so she could go back to bed, but this needed to be done so it might as well be done quickly.

They rounded a corner and Klaatu did something to the door to allow them access, Sophie slipped through the door, closely followed by Klaatu. They found themselves in the main control room, how Klaatu had managed to ensure everyone in here would be knocked out cold, Sophie had no clue, but he had and as long as they were quick, they could do their jobs and get out. Klaatu knew what to do and strode confidently through the maze of computers and through to one near the front of the room where he leaned over and put a hand to the screen, closing his eyes and accessing the information.

Sophie knew she couldn't help and so she walked leisurely through the computers and even further than Klaatu right up to the front. Large screens plastered the wall at the front, these screens showed security camera shots all over the vicinity and it didn't take her long to distinguish which ones to watch in case they might be caught. She still couldn't quite believe they'd actually managed to get through this far without being caught; she supposed she had to trust Klaatu's judgement and planning. She watched the cameras and was amazed to find no one anywhere near them, she leant against a desk and looked down at the man who was slumped across it, she recognised him immediately. He was a Doctor who had once worked closely with her mother and father, when she thought of her father there was a stab of painful grief in her chest. But she'd learned to control it over the years and despite the pain of losing him, she found that when she wrenched her eyes away from the Doctor the pain dulled and she could mask it again by firmly putting all thoughts and memories of her father from her mind.

Instead she turned her attention to the man the other side of her, she recognised him too, he was the army general. This was the man that would kill them both on site if he was ever to find them, and this time, fear spiked in her chest. How long did they have? Her heart was beating beneath her ribs like a drum, her breathing increased and adrenaline pumped through her. She was so hyped up, ready to run but hoping she wouldn't have to. Even she couldn't outrun the flight of a bullet.

She returned her attention to the screens and saw a man hurrying down the corridor in their direction; she stood up from the desk and turned. Klaatu was so deep in thought by his computer he hadn't even noticed her, he needed more time and this was just one man. Sophie took a deep breath before hurrying back to the door; she put her back to the wall alongside the door and turned her head to give her a good view. She bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment before breathing out and forcing herself to relax, embracing the adrenaline and harnessing it to put it to good use. The door slid open and she allowed it to shut as the man stepped through. He stopped dead in his tracks, confused as to why there were hundreds of sleeping men and women in this room, and looked around. He caught sight of Klaatu and opened his mouth to call out but Sophie stepped up behind him and snapped her palm around his throat, she caught him sharply and shortly in the larynx and his call was cut off in a gag. She then wrapped her arm around his throat whilst he was unable to speak and squeezed tightly to knock him out. Once he was unconscious she laid him on the floor and looked down at him. Overall the entire attack had taken her a minute tops. She allowed herself a moment of victory and a brief smile before turning and resuming her place at the front, leaning against the desk and observing the security cameras. She knew that she probably couldn't do that again, especially if there was more than one man, she needed Klaatu to hurry up.

She leant back against the desk, gazing up at the screens and not really focussing. Suddenly, a hand enclosed around her wrist and she couldn't stop the scream. She whirled around and caught sight of Klaatu's eyes snapping open to watch as she was flipped painfully over the desk. The army general had woken up. Her back hit the desk and pain seared through her, but she could only grunt as the wind was knocked from her. Her head snapped back to meet it and lights danced before her eyes. She felt a stab of pain in her arm that she immediately associated with a syringe and before she could do anything, she felt the cold yet strangely welcoming sensation of sleep washing over her.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

She awoke many times and every time there was someone there, someone asking her questions and when she couldn't answer they would hit her until she slept again. She didn't like this cycle, she didn't like the dark room or the constant aching pain. She didn't like that she could feel it was happening to Klaatu as well, but his torture was more in his mind. She still didn't like it.

When she woke up this time it was different, she was in an interrogation room which was too bright to her eyes and it took a while for her eyes to adjust to the blinding new light. She was aware of her hand being cuffed to the table and she was aching all over. And she was hungry, God she was hungry. How long had she been in interrogation? She wanted to go home; she wanted to go back to sleep but the bright lights were harsh against her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut and slumped back in her chair, before opening them and refusing to show weakness. She knew she hadn't given anything up and she didn't plan to now.

. . .

"You don't understand! You can't just tell them each other's dead, they can feel each other! They have a… emotional bond! Like an imprint! They can feel each other, they have a bond!" Helen shouted, running to keep up with the army general who was striding down the hall on the way to interrogate her daughter.

"Well then we shall have to break the bond." The army general said, he seemed to smile sadistically.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Jacob asked, hanging behind Helen, but his fear was evident in his voice, he was the only one beside Klaatu to know Sophie's secret.

"What are you going to do?" Helen asked.

"Whatever is necessary for this alien to leave, and never return." He said quietly before entering the interrogation room.

Sophie was sat, handcuffed to the table, her clothes were ragged and torn and her face bruised with a cut across her lip from where they'd tried to beat the truth out of her. But she hadn't given in. She looked exhausted but strong, she wasn't giving up anytime soon. Jacob made to follow Helen inside but she stopped him, she didn't want him to see his sister like this.

Sophie watched them with cold, hard eyes. The army general sat on the steel chair opposite her and Helen stood by the door.

"Miss Benson, tell me what you know about the al-…"

"Klaatu." Sophie interrupted him, "His name is Klaatu."

"Okay," he said slowly, "Tell us what you know about… Klaatu."

"I'm not telling you anything."

"Why don't I tell you something?" he snarled, leaning across the table in an intimidating fashion. "I've just come back from ensuring that your alien friend is dead." He said bluntly. Sophie's face fell, Helen watched as her daughter was lied to and tears made her eyes glassy.

"He can't be…" she breathed. She closed her eyes and her forehead creased and for a moment there was a tense silence. "No he isn't…" she said firmly, a slight smile playing on her lips. "I can still feel him, he's alive!" she opened her eyes, smiling triumphantly.

"So, if one of you dies the other will feel it?" the general asked.

"Yes."

"What about this bond business?" the general asked.

"What about it?" asked Sophie?

"How do we break it?"

"How am I supposed to know?! I didn't ask for this! I was a scared eleven year old girl who made the mistake of holding someone's hand! I never wanted it…" she said.

"I know…" Helen spoke quietly for the first time. They both turned to look at her in surprise.

"You know how to break it?" the general asked, turning to face her.

"Yes," she breathed, "And I'm willing to make a deal with you."

No attention was on Sophie now; it was just Helen and the general having a conversation.

"Go on then, propose your deal." The general said, amused.

Helen looked her daughter in the eye, "You have to kill her," she breathed.

"Mom no!" Sophie shouted.

"Yes Sophie." Helen said sternly as if she was scolding a child, "You're most certainly not happy with this bond so it's being broken. You have to kill her and then revive her, and then it should be broken."

"Mom, please, no!" she screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Sophie doesn't argue you'll survive and then we can get past this… I don't like it either. But it has to be done."

"You can't! I'm pregnant!" Sophie revealed suddenly, they all fell silent, shocked.

"The alien's?" the general asked after what seemed like an age.

"Klaatu's, yes." She said, looking everywhere but at her mother.

"Well then," the general sighed, leaning back in his chair, "That also needs to be eliminated." He finished softly, standing.

"No!" Sophie cried, "Please! Just let me go! Please! Mom!"

Helen and the army general left, leaving Sophie alone to do nothing but wait for her imminent death.

. . .

Helen watched Klaatu's eyes snap open and a pained expression cross his face.

"Make them stop." He said quietly.

"Do you believe us now? She's going to die painfully and then what will you have?"

"What?!" Helen exclaimed.

"Helen, you have to help her, she's going to die! They're beating her, cutting her… and… no, you have to make them stop!" he said firmly.

"You said it would be quick, painless… Call it off!"

"No, the child must be eliminated, as must she, and he must feel pain. This is how she will die." The general said, not looking at Helen but staring Klaatu in the eye.

"Please," Klaatu whispered, pleading. Helen had backed into the corner, frozen in shock and fear.

"Tell me why you're here." The general snarled.

"And you'll stop murdering her?" he replied, the general didn't answer. Klaatu realised he didn't have time to wait for an answer. She was nearly dead he could feel it; he could feel her soul reaching out to him and pleading for his help, desperately hanging on. But he wasn't about to let her say goodbye.

"Something else is coming; I am here to protect the earth from other aliens. You have to let me and Sophie go or else…" he stopped and gasped. He'd felt a great surge of pain and then nothing, Sophie was gone.

"She's dead." He whispered.

"No!" Helen gasped, running from the room, Jacob who was waiting outside noticed her distress and she slid to the floor in hysterical tears, Jacob cradled her.

"What's happened mom?" he asked.

"She's dead!" Helen wailed, "Sophie's dead!"

"What?" Jacob gasped. He simply held his mother and fought back the tears himself as he tried to process the information that his big sister was dead.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

He felt hollow, he didn't understand these feelings and he most definitely didn't like them. Sophie was dead, their bond was gone, and so was their child. Klaatu knew he had to save the earth from the threat of another invasion but he wasn't sure he had the energy anymore. He couldn't do it, not without her, knowing that she was dead was slowly killing him. The interrogation room's bright lights were suddenly dimmed in comparison to everything that had happened. He was constantly trying to reach out through the bond, searching for her, for any trace, but he was constantly trying, despite the fact that he knew he was never going to find anything. She was gone, forever.

The door opened and his handcuffs were removed.

"You're free to go." Helen Benson told him. Her eyes were red from crying and Klaatu felt a stab of pity towards her, he'd lost the woman he loved as well as his child, and she'd lost her child. He understood her pain. "They want you to stop the invasion, they'll give you anything you need as long as you leave as soon as you're done." Her voice was void of all emotion and she wouldn't look at him. He stood slowly and walked over to her, his own eyes were glassy with tears, he'd been looking forward so much to having a family, and now that right had been stripped away from him.

"Helen," he said softly and she closed her eyes, a few tears falling down her cheeks. "Helen, I am sorry." She nodded and tried to hold back the tears, he got the sense that it was just time to leave. So he did, he walked out of the room. He could see Jacob crying quietly in the corner but he didn't linger, instead he strode confidently through the corridors, he knew how to get out and he hated that place it only reminded him of Sophie's death. He strode quickly through the corridors until he had reached the doors.

He left the area and carried on walking, he didn't stop. He became unaware of days or nights and he ignored any hunger or tiredness. He kept walking until he reached central park, he looked up and could see Sophie's apartment. Reaching into his pocket he took out a small remote control, he flicked a switch and a whirring noise was initiated around him. The orb sparkled for a moment before darkening and he looked up to see a hundred stars getting bigger and bigger. Who was friend and who was foe he didn't know. He only knew that it was beginning. And now, he didn't care if he lived or died.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The battle was raging around him and he fought as valiantly as every other man and woman from his collection of races that had come to his aid. He hated the idea that he was being forced to slaughter other beings that were only fighting because they had been ordered to by a confused monster but there was no option for him not to. He had to save the humans in order to preserve his memory of Sophie. Even now he felt like there was still an inkling of her spirit trying to connect with him, trying to re-establish the bond but he wouldn't let it happen. He would allow any part of her back in, he knew that if he did he would only feel the pain of her death even stronger. He couldn't even let a part of her spirit back in. it was an insanely large part of her spirit but it was there all the same and it grew evermore hard to keep out. He supposed it was because he was so distracted by the fight that he felt he needed her more than ever.

He disliked these aliens by an enormous amount. They were large and hulked over; their weapon of choice was a large spear that was very difficult to get around. But Klaatu was experienced and had been taught his defence well. He was fighting his way through them easily along with the others of his kind who had received the same training as he had. He took out a particularly large one and stepped over its huge body to tackle the next one.

His head was filled with her voice, she was calling out to him desperately and even when he shook his head, tried to rid his ears of her voice so he could focus on the problem at hand she wouldn't stop. He guessed her spirit was just as stubborn as she had been when she was alive. This small positive thought of a joke made him smile inwardly. He didn't want to feel happy about her death, but wasn't that was humans did? Instead of mourning the dead, they celebrated their living. They were a complicated race.

Her voice was growing ever louder and he dipped his head and shut his eyes momentarily to try and shunt it out once and for all. She was calling his name desperately, and breathlessly. The confusion he felt instantly dissipated and his eyes snapped open. It wasn't her spirit calling out to him, he wasn't imagining anything. Sophie just wasn't dead. He was so annoyed at himself for not realising it sooner, that they had killed her for a few moments before reviving her and then the bond would be broken. But they didn't know just how stubborn she was.

He wrenched open the bond in his mind and felt everything flood through him, it almost forced him to his knees but he remained standing, his head whipping around. Searching for order amongst the chaos of the smoky battlefield, he knew she was here somewhere, she was close but he needed to find her. He looked into her mind and saw her running; she was jumping over the fallen and occasionally stopping, calling out to him and looking for him. He had to get to her, to get her to safety before one of the hulking aliens hurt her, or killed her.

"Sophie!" he yelled, and in his mind he knew she'd heard him so he repeated his shout over and over again, beginning to run in the direction he knew she was in. she felt it too and ran to meet him in the middle. And finally, out of the fog, he saw her. She was running towards him and as soon as she saw him her face broke out into a happy grin, quickly mirrored by his own. The fighting around them was unimportant; the only important things were each other. They neared each other and only ran faster, but Klaatu hadn't had the sense to think about the rest of the hulking aliens. He sensed the spear a moment before it hit him and so avoided it, where it went sailing straight for Sophie.

**A/N: I really can't decide whether to kill Sophie or not so someone decide for me please? I'll go on the most reviews saying whether I should kill her or not! So please keep reviewing because I need you to make this decision for me!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

If that spear hit Sophie, it would kill her instantly. There would be no way for Klaatu to save her, she would die for good this time. He couldn't let that happen, he couldn't let her die that way. He couldn't fail to protect her, again. But the spear was sailing closer and closer to her, she had seen it and frozen in terror, paralysed with fear. Klaatu was sprinting now, faster than before, fuelled with desperation and fear of his own.

The more time he spent on this planet the more human he became, he finally felt like he understood what it was like to be a human. He experienced the needs, the emotions, everything it took to be human. He finally felt like he was a human, and he wanted to have a human life with Sophie, he needed her to survive so he could grow old with her. One of his kind had done it before, so he had every reason to as well.

He was close, just behind the spear, he jumped, and he lunged. He caught her around the middle and together, they fell to the ground. He landed on top of her, shielding her from the battle around them. He lifted his head just enough to check her over, the spear had kept sailing and hit another one of the hulking monsters, giving Klaatu a triumphant spark inside of him. But he dampened the spark in order to focus all his attention on Sophie. Their eyes connected and he felt relief wash over him, she was alive, and she was alright.

"Hey," she breathed, trying to get her breath back after sprinting. "How are you?" she asked, he could have laughed if they weren't in the middle of a battle. Instead he allowed himself a fond smile.

"I'm well, how about you? Last I heard, you were dead." He said with a hint of anger in his voice. Her cheekbone was bruised and there were various cuts across her face that were slowly beginning to heal. But he knew there was much more damage than just this, but this wasn't the time to talk about that. Now was the time to get her out of harm's way.

"Yeah, that kind of went wrong. Aren't you meant to be fighting a war?"

"Yes, but first I'm getting you to safety."

"Can't I help?" she asked, worried for him.

"No, I'm not risking you getting hurt. Not again. Come on." He pulled her to her feet and gripped her hand tightly as they weaved in and out of the raging battle, leading her as far as he could from danger, keeping her safe and close. They reached the streets which were jammed with the police and the army as they tried to make sense of what was going on. Klaatu led her around the edge, away from prying eyes and around the edge of central park. To her apartment. Once they were inside he turned to leave again, to continue fighting.

"Wait!" she cried, grabbing his arm to stop him running from her. She wheeled him around and in one swift moment grabbed his face and kissed him roughly. After a few moments of kissing him she leaned her forehead against his but kept her eyes closed. "Be careful." She whispered.

He didn't respond but she knew that he was promising her that he would. He turned and left, she shut the door behind him, pausing for a moment before turning and running through to her bedroom, pulling the blind up and observing the battle below.


End file.
